


Those Collected Thus Far

by paracosmologist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-01 19:13:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5217530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paracosmologist/pseuds/paracosmologist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Seven. Seven human souls, and King ASGORE will become a god.”</p><p>“Six. That’s how many we have collected thus far.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Purple

The first fallen child.

Toriel had prepared for their arrival. She refurbished the home she and Asgore had left behind, and even replicated her children's room in case any little ones fell down. She spent a long time in the Ruins without encountering a single human, and a little part of her hoped nobody would fall down again.

But someone did.

She found them hiding in a corner, scribbling in a little notebook. Toriel reached out and told them she meant no harm, but the child only yelped and scooted away from her. Worried eyes peered at her from behind thick-rimmed glasses, looking and judging. When they finally emerged from the corner, Toriel asked what their name was. They said they were Skip.

Skip made Toriel too optimistic. They settled in quickly, and adjusted to life in the Ruins. They spent a lot of time cooped up in their room or sprawled out reading in front of the fireplace. Whenever they weren’t inside Skip was exploring the Ruins under her supervision. They always wanted to explore every nook and cranny, asking Toriel to help them get to a hard to reach spot. They also brought their notebook with them, taking notes on everything they’d found. Toriel peeked inside once out of curiosity, and it was filled with illegible scrawls. It was confusing, to say the least, though she found it harmless and endearing. Skip was a curious child, and Toriel was always happy to teach them anything they wanted to know.

However, Toriel could never tell if they were happy or not. They occasionally asked questions, but they otherwise said every little. They nodded or shook their read in response to yes or no questions, and gestured to things they needed or wanted. Nonetheless they seemed content, and that soothed Toriel’s worries.

This reverie only lasted a couple of months. Toriel had told them to never go downstairs when they arrived, and for the most part they did. But Skip would wonder what was down there, and Toriel figured they’d ask about the basement sooner or later.

She didn't expect them to just leave.

Toriel thought Skip slept in when they didn’t show up for breakfast. Around noon she decided to wake them up, but the bedroom was empty. She then figured that they’d just slipped out for a walk, but a comb of the Ruins turned up nothing. Fearing the worst, she decided to check the basement.

The door was open.

~*~

The first human soul.

To tell the truth, Asgore never wanted them to come. He was going to bide his time with his promise and pray that no humans would ever fall down here. But now, he had to reap what he had sown.

He had to kill an innocent child.

It had started off with rumors, one sighting from Snowdin by a couple monsters and a sentry. Asgore didn’t want to investigate, but he sent an envoy of royal guards to investigate nonetheless. He was surprised (and somewhat disappointed) when they came back with a young human in tow. They’d chased the kid deep into Waterfall, one guard told him wearily. The kid managed to slip from their grasp multiple times, even when they were cornered.

But they got ‘em, the guard said, presenting Asgore with the human. They were very roughed up, beaten and bruised. They were completely silent: they squinted up at Asgore once, and the rest of their time was spent looking down at their own shoes.

Asgore excused the guards, leaving him along with the human. After a moment, the human sank to their hands and knees, heaving. There was a tightness in Asgore’s chest: they were so small, so vulnerable, so reminiscent of his own children...he couldn’t do this.

Asgore forced a smile and tried to make small talk. He spoke of his golden flowers and his garden, but the human was silent. The air felt heavy.

Asgore heaved a sigh, and the human perked up. No use delaying it, he thought, taking out his long red trident. Sorry about this, he spoke to the human. The human looked back down again, and made a request. the only words they ever said to him.

They asked him to make it quick

Asgore fulfilled their final wishes.

 

 


	2. Blue

The second fallen child.

They weren’t hard to find: Toriel heard their cries echoing throughout the Ruins. They found the poor child curled up where they’d fallen, knees pulled up to their chest and head buried in their hands. Toriel knelt down and patted their shoulder, but when the child looked up they screamed. Before Toriel could say anything to calm them down, they’d leapt up and sprinted away. It took Toriel hours to track them down, and even then to took some persuasion to get them to follow her.

The child seemed uneasy when they got home, but they seemed to get comfortable after a good night’s rest and a welcoming breakfast. During their stay they rarely stepped out of their room except for meals, and Toriel wondered what they did all day. Toriel had decided to give them space for their first few days here, though when passing by she could hear faint singing.

After a while they began to warm up to Toriel: thanking her for the food, and introducing themself as Twirl. They began to talk more and more at mealtimes, asking Toriel a few questions about herself and life in the Ruins. Toriel didn’t share much, and after that Twirl began to talk about themself.

Toriel learned a lot of things about Twirl: their favorite color was blue, they were petrified of the dark, their favorite animal was a swan, and they dreamed of becoming a ballerina. One morning, a week after they’d arrived, they talked about their dancing and how their instructor told them they were really good. Their mother was really proud of them, and she was supposed to take them to a dance recital soon...

At this point that fell silent, and excused themselves to their room. Toriel didn’t want to press further, and just let them go. When she passed by their room later that day, she heard muffled crying.

At lunch, Twirl asked her a final question, a question Toriel dreaded to receive.

They asked how to get home.

Toriel was taken aback, but gently reassured that Twirl would live a good life down here. They looked down at their lap upon hearing these words, and Toriel heard them begin to sniffle. Toriel tried to soothe them, but it didn’t work. They began to cry, their sniffling turning to sobbing and wailing. Toriel tried to pull them into a hug, but they just pushed her away.

Seeing a child like this made her heart ache, but she was still hesitant on letting them go. Which was better? Letting them live out their life here wracked with homesickness or send them out to be killed by Asgore?

Neither sounded good, but later that evening Toriel decided to go with whatever made Twirl the happiest. She couldn’t bear to see them like this. Twirl had gone to bed, but Toriel could still hear them crying in their bedroom. She went down the hall, opened the door, and told them they could go home.

Toriel talked them through every peril they’d face, and while Twirl was scared they told Toriel they should be fine. They were quick and nimble, they explained, and could run away from danger. Now it was Toriel’s turn to cry, and she pulled Twirl into one last hug. After the short embrace, Twirl went through the door and left.

Toriel hope she’d make it farther than the last child.

~*~

The second human soul.

After the first one slipped through their fingers too many times, the Royal Guard expanded their ranks and patrols, assuring that a human could be caught anytime anywhere. After the first soul was acquired, the people rejoiced and began to put more faith in his plan. If they could get at least one soul, they could get another, and another, and another...

The Underground was filled with hope again.

Then the reports flooded in: monsters had seen a human sprinting through the forests outside of Snowdin, and the Royal Guard was quick to mobilize. The human made it into Waterfall, but the guards were better prepared than last time. The human’s capture and delivery to the castle was swift and without any incidents.

Like the other one, they were dumped in front of his throne and the two were left alone. Unlike the other one, this one was bawling. They were on their knees, head bowed and tears streaming down their face. Asgore’s heart sank, but he didn’t want to show any remorse. The human cried for a long time, and the guards even came back in to see if they should help him.

The human’s head shot up when they said that, and without a moment’s hesitation they sprang up and ran towards the back of the throne room. The guards tensed up, but he dismissed them and followed the human out. Asgore knew there was nowhere for them to run.

The human stopped dead in their tracks once they reached the Barrier. Their eyes widened, jaw slack as they gazed up at the glowing wall before them. Asgore told them about the Barrier, explained his plans to destroy it. The human looked at the Barrier, and then at him, their eyes still wet from crying. They tensed up, clenching their fist and casting a hesitant glance at Asgore. He could tell that the human didn’t want to fight, and he didn’t want to fight either.

It was hard for the both of them.


	3. Cyan

The third fallen child.

Toriel had high hopes for this one. She found them wandering the Ruins, more confused than scared. They were a lot younger than the other two, and easier to approach. They warmed up to Toriel quickly, and introduced themself as Frolic.

Toriel loved Frolic. She cared about every child who’d fall into the Underground, but Frolic’s young age triggered her motherly instincts. They were so naive and dependent, and needed more care and attention than the others. Toriel had to spend all day reading and playing with them, and she loved every moment of it. It reminded Toriel so much of her time spent with her own child.

But like all the others, Frolic was homesick. Sometimes they’d would want to go back to where they'd fallen and just stand there, looking up forlornly at the sunlight. It was obvious to Toriel that they missed the Surface, but they were so young. She hoped they wouldn't act on the desire.

But they did.

It happened months after they'd fallen, when they and Toriel had fallen into a routine. Toriel had to attend to business elsewhere in the Ruins, and she'd left Frolic at home. They promised not to get up to any bad things, and Toriel trusted them.

When Toriel returned, Frolic was gone.

It was too wistful, thinking that they'd just stay on their own. Frolic was a lot smarter than they let on - or at least smart compared to other children their age. They were just biding their time, waiting for an opportunity to slip away.

Toriel was a fool.

~*~

The third human soul.

This one was easier to catch. The first one was too smart, and the second one was too quick. This one was neither of those, and they were captured a lot sooner than the first two. They human had been in the forest for days, but eventually they'd gotten cold and strayed too close to Snowdin. There a couple sentries sighted them, and the human was captured.

Asgore braced himself for the meeting. He took a deep breath and turned away as the guards entered and presented him with the human. He turned around to thank them and congratulate them on their valor, but when he saw the human his heart dropped. They were much younger than he thought. They looked up with bright eyes, not entirely aware of what was happening. The human was clearly shaken, though weren’t scared of Asgore - they were just curious. It's as if they'd seen something - or someone - like him before.

Asgore swallowed hard and dismissed the guards. Once they were alone he spoke softly, the way he did with his own child. His heart twisted in his chest over the thought of killing such an innocent youth, but he had no other choice. Everyone was counting on him to do it, and he didn’t want to disappoint the people. He led the small human by the hand to the Barrier, and they gazed up in wonder.

Then Asgore told them he had to kill them.

They turned to him in surprise, but the statement didn’t completely register with them. They were confused, but there was fear in the look they gave him. Then they really got scared when Asgore pulled out his trident.

The human’s eyes welled up as they backed away from Asgore, shaking their head. They looked down at their shoes, hands fiddling with the lower hem of their shirt as they began to sniffle.

Asgore wanted to cry, too.

 

 


	4. Green

The fourth fallen child.

This one was a lot different from the first three. First of all, they were slightly older, teetering on the cusp of preadolescence: young enough to be considered a child but old enough to have a sense of maturity, and a good grasp on right and wrong.

They’d approached Toriel themself, emerging from the shadows and asking for help. Toriel gladly brought them home, and learned their name was Bounce. Toriel saw a lot of herself in the child, both in their affinity for baking and caring nature. She could tell that Bounce would be a joy to have living here.

However, that wasn’t the case: Bounce looked confused when presented with their own room, and they looked hesitant when Toriel brought up their ‘new life’ here over dinner. Eventually, they stood up, thanked her for the meal and said that they had to get going. Toriel feigned ignorance and asked if they were going to bed. Bounce just repeated that they had to leave. They had to go home.

But this is your home now, Toriel tried to explain, but that only set them off. Bounce told her that they had siblings back home they had to take care of. Their parents weren’t around a lot, so it was usually up to them to cook and look after their younger siblings.

Toriel tried to keep Bounce from leaving, but her attempts only provoked them. They were annoyed, but they didn’t lash out at her. They put their foot down and said they had places to be. Toriel was taken aback: this was the first child to actually protest against their stay. None of the children so far had tried to stand up to her like this. They did raise a compelling argument, but as much as Toriel wanted to let them go, it just wasn't possible.

Tears welled up in Toriel’s eyes as she admitted that returning home was impossible for Bounce. She told them about the three other children to fall down, and what happened to them. Toriel was crying now, collapsed into her reading chair and sobbing. Bounce knelt down beside her and began to pat her back, listening closely and nodding.

When Toriel finished, Bounce was silent. There was a heavy pause before they spoke up. They felt sorry for the other three, but merely restated their need to leave. They apologized and promised they’d try their hardest not to fall prey to Asgore. They were older than the others, they reasoned. They were smarter and more mature. That had to count for something.

Toriel didn’t think it did. Even though they were older, the difference was only by a couple years, and Bounce was still a child. They’d still be killed by Asgore. But Bounce was dead set on leaving, and Toriel didn’t have the heart to keep them here.

She told them about the basement, and gave them instructions on how to get out. She didn’t look up as Bounce thanked her and left the room. She heard their footsteps descend into basement and fade away.

~*~

The fourth human soul.

This one had made it farther than the past three. The human was too resilient, a Royal Guard told Asgore. The guards were right behind the human as they ran through the Underground, but the human never fought them: they just shielded themself from attacks and kept running. But they couldn’t run forever; they were cornered and captured somewhere in Hotland, and they were brought to the capital.

They were older than the other humans, but still, by all definitions, a child. Once the guards had left, they cut off Asgore before he could say anything. The human told him they didn’t want any trouble and just wanted to go home. They said there were people under their care, friends and family who loved them dearly. If they didn’t make it back, they’d be heartbroken.

Asgore needed to let them go.

But he couldn’t, he explained. His heart ached, but he explained the situation to the human. He talked about the Barrier and the souls needed to break it. The human’s eyes widened as they stepped back, but they clenched the frying pan in their hand. They said again they didn’t want to fight, but Asgore just sighed and walked into the other room. The human had no other choice but to follow him. They gazed up at the Barrier, briefly lost in wonder as Asgore pulled out his trident.

Something about this particular human stuck out to him long after they’d gone: the human never laid a finger on him. They just deflected his attacks and tried hard to convince him not to kill them.

But Asgore had no other choice.

 

 


	5. Yellow

The fifth fallen child.

This was a peculiar one. They were about as old as the previous child, but their attitudes couldn’t be any more different. One day Toriel heard loud bangs echoing throughout the Ruins, and when she’d gone out to investigate she found a child waving around a gun. Toriel acted fast and tried to calm them down, but one she got up to them she found herself staring down the barrel. She quickly told them she didn’t mean any harm and asked them to lower the gun. They hesitated for a moment, but the child complied and stowed away their weapon.

This child, Caper, seemed begrudging in their trust. They pulled their gun out the next time they encountered a monster, and before Toriel could do anything they pulled the trigger and blasted the Froggit into dust. Toriel was mortified, but she managed to compose herself and reminded them them to keep mercy in their heart. They stuck up their nose, shoved the gun in their pocket and muttered something about the Froggit attacking first.

They tried to leave the moment they arrived at her house. Once Toriel had shown them their room, they immediately pointed out they weren’t going to stay. She tried to tell them they couldn’t leave in the gentlest way possible, but they didn’t react to it well. They screamed at her and almost pulled the gun out again, demanding that she let them leave. Toriel lost her composure, and on the spur of the moment told them they’d die if they left the Ruins. 

This got to Caper. The gun fell to their side as they asked her why they’d die. She told them about Asgore and the four previous children. Caper was taken aback. Is that what happened to all of the kids who’d vanished all those years ago? They all died at Asgore’s hands?

Toriel nodded. Caper looked at their boots and their grip on the gun tightened. Their voice rose as they spoke again. They said they would go out there regardless of the threat of death. They’d get revenge for the four children.

They said they’d make Asgore pay.

When they looked back up at Toriel, they reassured her that they’d only attack bad ones. She proved that there were good ones. But Toriel knew that their definition of ‘bad’ was anything that attacked first, which was what most monsters would do. This child could hurt a lot of monsters. Toriel didn’t know if letting them go was a good idea.

They asked to leave again. Toriel hesitated, but knew what they’d do if she stopped them. She wordlessly led them downstairs and ushered them out.

~*~

The fifth human soul.

This one caused panic and chaos. Every other human was either benign or cowardly, and so far they hadn’t been major threats.

How did a human make it all the way to the capital?

This one was a lot stronger than the previous ones, and the most violent. They had brought down a human weapon, and decimated any monster that got in their way. Asgore didn’t expect a human child to be this malicious. An adult, maybe, but according to the accounts the human was only on the edge of preadolescence: certainly not old enough to be trusted with such a weapon.

The entire Underground was evacuated, with every monster hiding in the Core and the castle. Monsters were huddled in his throne room, clutching each other and fearing for their lives. What was left of the Royal Guard was now focused on defense, patrolling the entire capital. They would make sure the human wouldn’t get in.

After what felt like an eternity, one guard came in and announced the human’s disarmament and capture. The throne room erupted into cheers and whoops. The cheering swelled when the guards hauled in a small, scrawny human child. Such a weak-looking human had nearly decimated the Royal Guard and nearly destroyed all of monsterkind. A testament to the strength of their souls.

The monsters booed and the human jeered back. The guards began to usher monsters out, emptying the throne room so Asgore could have some privacy. Several monsters tried to stay to watch the human get killed, but the guards managed to move them out. They all called for the human’s death.

The human didn’t look scared. Once all the monsters were gone, they locked eyes with Asgore, with a look of contempt. So you’re Asgore, they asked, sneering. They had heard much about him. About how he’d killed four humans. The human spat out names, calling him vile and wicked. The human had vowed to take revenge for the four humans, and wasn’t going to give up until they made him pay for his actions.

  
At least in the future, Asgore could excuse this one as self-defense.


	6. Orange

The sixth fallen child.

Caper had failed. Toriel thought they’d have some sort of chance, and how this armed child couldn’t beat Asgore made her fear for his strength. Toriel had been sending out the children for slaughter, and now he only needed two more souls before he could shatter the Barrier, and destroy humanity...or let monsterkind be destroyed. Either possibility was bleak.

So when the next child fell, Toriel resolved to keep them here by any means necessary. She was even willing to fight them if needed. The were only children, and she was sure that if she’d been harder on discipline and scared them away from the basement they wouldn’t have suffered such a grisly fate.

She hoped the next one wouldn’t be like Caper, but they turned out to be just as aggressive. Or at least tried to be.They’d attacked her when she approached them, but they were easy to dodge. The child yelled something about standing still and how she better not hurt them.

This one was so young, and Toriel wanted so badly to pinch their little cheeks. But they were a feisty one, and they were difficult to pacify. The child, Scamper, took a while to calm down, and Toriel only gained their trust when she offered to nurse their wounds and give them food. The child was hesitant to comply, but she managed to lead them home without any incidents. She showed them their room, and much to her relief they didn’t want to leave immediately. Scamper ended up staying for a couple of days.

They didn’t stay for long. They asked about leaving numerous times, but Toriel remained steadfast in her refusal. She couldn’t let any more children go to their deaths. She needed to keep Scamper here.

But they only got more frustrated as time went on. They were the only child to purposefully misbehave, throwing fits in protest. Toriel was beginning to lose her patience, but she tried to deal with them the best she could.

They knew something was up with the basement, and one day they tried to make a break for it. They weren’t very covert about it, and Toriel heard them stomping down the steps. They still her off guard, however. She rushed down the stairs and tried to pull them back, but they resisted. Eventually Toriel got frustrated, getting in front of them and blocking the way. She said that they’d die if they left the Ruins, and that they would have to get past her to leave.

Scamper moaned something about being sick and tired of being thrown around. They wanted to go home and see their older brothers and sisters, as insufferable as they were. Scamper wanted to see their parents again, their friends, the sky...they weren’t going to let Toriel stand in their way. They were going to give it all.

It was disastrous. It was the first time Toriel had to fight in centuries, and even then she only used a fraction of her true power. She didn’t want to hurt Scamper, but she may have held herself too far back. Scamper was dealing substantial damage to her. Not much, but enough to seriously weaken Of course they could beat an old lady who hadn’t fought anyone in centuries, but she doubted they could take down a Royal Guard, let alone Asgore. They dealt a lot of damage to her, but their punches were weak: they couldn’t muster up the energy to hurt her that bad.

But she had to fulfill her promise. She let Scamper go, telling them to keep running and beware of Asgore. They just nodded as they left, not looking back. As she watched another child go out to die, Toriel made a resolution.

She’d do anything to keep the next child here.

~*~

The sixth human soul.

After the last human wrecked the Underground, every monster was on edge. They called for tighter security and the expansion of the Royal Guard, and Asgore could only follow through with the demands. If one armed human could decimate the Royal Guard, what would another one do?

Nobody wanted a repeat of the last one.

So when human sightings were confirmed, everyone flew into a panic. Guards poured into Snowdin, each one determined to prevent the disaster the last human brought. The sheer amount of guards, the clamoring fear and hatred of the human…

It made the human’s impact a lot more underwhelming than it already was.

The human indeed was a little violent - they’d attacked any monster they’d come across, though they never outright killed anyone. They just pummeled monsters and left them when they couldn’t chase them. These were all civilians and sentires, monsters with no real combat training. They didn’t stand a chance against a royal guard.

But they didn’t give up. They were hurt very badly when the guards brought them to the castle. They were wringing their hands, but they looked at Asgore with a look full of determination. A look that told Asgore they were deadset on beating him.

After the guards left, ithout much else to say, Asgore just led them out towards the Barrier and explained the plight of monsterkind. The human didn’t care.

They tried so hard. It was almost a shame that they lost so easily.


End file.
